Guest editorial: Digital health, Part 2: The promise and practice of telehealth in BC

In Part 1 of this theme issue we explored how technology can be used to improve access to and quality of health care. The history and future of the electronic medical record (EMR) were considered and the Carrier Sekani Family Services primary care model was featured. In Part 2 we focus on some currently available tools and challenge readers to consider the following questions:•Why should physicians participate in this digital health transformation—and can we afford not to? •What are the advantages of digital health for patients, health professionals, and health systems? •What are the threats to quality and safety of care? •What role can physicians play in creating the digital future?

In the first article, Dr Kendall Ho and colleagues report on mobile apps, wearables, and sensor technology. Drs Damon Ramsay and Puneet Seth then discuss the need for a collaborative health record (CHR) system that permits asynchronous interactions and improves clinician productivity. Finally, Mr Michael Bidu considers BC’s digital health ecosystem and the importance of entrepreneurs and physicians working together.

As physicians who believe in the promise of digital health, we look forward to a time when user-friendly, relationship-enhancing, physician-informed technology is an accepted part of medical care, and we welcome your feedback on the concepts and practices highlighted in these articles.—Eric Cadesky, MDCM, CCFPClinical Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UBC Faculty of Medicine—Kendall Ho, MDProfessor, Department of Emergency Medicine, UBC Faculty of Medicine